Western region targets to plant 6 million trees by 2030

May 25, 2023 - 06:27

Western Regional Commissioner Samwel Irungu Macharia (centre)leads National Police Service officers, government departmental heads and other stakeholders in planting 400 trees at the Western regional police headquarters in Kakamega town.He said the region has so far achieved one million trees against the national target of six million trees to be planted by the year 2030 (Photos by Ayub Mukhongo, KNA)

Kakamega, Wednesday, May 24, 2023

KNA by Mercy Owano/Ayub Mukhongo

People who have encroached on government forests in Western region have been ordered to vacate with immediate effect.

Western Regional Commissioner Samson Irungu Macharia cited the Mt. Elgon ecosystem where the local people are wantonly destroying the natural forest leading to environmental degradation.

The RC has therefore given the encroachers a notice to vacate with immediate effect or they will be forcibly evicted by the multi-agency team on environment.

Speaking today while leading the National Police Service (NPS) personnel and other stakeholders to plant 400 trees at the Western Regional Police headquarters in Kakamega, Mr. Irungu also raised concern over abuse of the ‘shamaba system’ in both Mt. Elgon and Kakamega rain forest.

He observed that some farmers were only focused on planting food crops at the expense of planting and nurturing trees, a move he said will not be allowed.

“The arrangement is that you must first plant trees, before food crops, and which you must tend to maturity, or else we may be forced to cut down those crops and plant trees” he warned.

The ‘shamba ‘system involves farmers tending tree saplings on state-owned forest land in return for being permitted to intercrop perennial food crops until canopy closure.

He said the western region targets to plant six million trees this year as part of the national government drive to green the country with 15 billion trees by the year 2030.

“So far in western region, we have managed to plant more than 1 million tree seedlings in forest areas, government offices, alongside rivers, and private lands” he said

Western region forest conservator Rose Akombo urged each resident to plant at least 30 trees each year in order to achieve the targeted 30 per cent forest cover in the country.

She hailed First Lady Rachel Ruto for adopting 200 hectares of degraded Kakamega forest which she has pledged to help green.

Western regional Police commander Mr. Kiprono Langat said there was a big correlation between trees , environment and security saying that when the environment get distorted, the security is also affected.

Courtesy ; K. N. A